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Organization for ‘All’: A Business Imperative
Organization for ‘All’: A Business Imperative

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With the paradigm shift in the business landscape ushered in by the present era, it has become imperative for organizations worldwide to rethink their practices, strategies, and plans – scrutinize the entire process—from how business operations are conducted to how employees work. Thus, embracing change and evolving with time are the only ways to ensure organizational success. One such change that many forward-thinking organizations are rapidly adopting is the inclusion of people from diverse and heterogeneous backgrounds in their workforce. With all the advantages that a varied workforce brings to the table, there is no doubt that improving diversity and inclusion should be at the top of every company's priority list if it wants to thrive rather than merely survive in today's competitive market.

With more companies recognizing the value of diversity, it has been discovered that while many companies do well in establishing a diverse workforce at the entry and lower levels, the ratio dwindles as one climbs up the corporate ladder. This pattern could be due to social conventions. For example, in many societies, there may still be beliefs that suggest some important leadership qualities like vision, decisiveness, and assertiveness are more associated with men and that men rather than women should fill specific tech-heavy jobs/roles. These detrimental norms have given rise to the notion of the "glass ceiling" for women—meaning women may see a career path straight to the top, but unseen forces—i.e., social norms, biases, etc.—keep them from reaching that path. This pushes women to fight these biases to compete with men. The IT industry is one affected the most by these notions. To add to the glass ceiling concept, some women may also face life-event intermissions, like maternity breaks, which could derail the entire process because of bias. 

Therefore, the onus is on organizations to develop appropriate initiatives to empower women to lead and ensure leader biases do not prevent women from being promoted up the corporate ladder. Many modern companies are now implementing unconscious bias and conscious inclusion training for managers so that these individuals may recognize and even avoid prejudiced decision-making in the workplace.

However, it is also important to note that a diverse workforce does not just imply gender diversity. Race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, and physical ability all fall under the umbrella of diversity. Additionally, age groups, academic backgrounds, personalities, skill sets, life experiences, and knowledge play a crucial role in defining diversity as well. It is, once again, the organization's responsibility to be a workplace that is for all. The sooner businesses realize this, the closer they will be to achieving organizational success by using their employees' diverse skills and unique perspectives to generate new business resiliency solutions.

Gone are the days when higher salaries were enough to attract employees. Increasingly, inclusion, equality, and engagement have become crucial cornerstones in modern workplaces, attracting top talent—particularly millennials. They want to work in settings where they are accepted, included, respected, and valued. Studies show that when a company recognizes and promotes diversity and inclusiveness, employees of all ages feel more connected to the company, leading to improved organizational loyalty, a thing especially valuable to companies today, given the current wave of "The Great Resignation."

To conclude, people should feel comfortable enough to collaborate to achieve common goals irrespective of their origins, cultures, genders, etc,. Recognizing what brings us together and valuing each person's unique perspectives create enabling environments – one where everyone can thrive and grow holistically. 


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